Enemy of the world, friend to the ears

Melodic hardcore is an odd genre of music that tries to combine pop-punk and hardcore punk -- obviously -- but rarely do bands bring enough goods from those two styles to create a solid sound.

Thankfully, Four Year Strong is one that does.

Their latest, "Enemy of the World" is at times both poppier and more aggressive than their stellar debut, "Rise or Die Trying."

And perhaps the best news is that unlike the debut, the tracks on "Enemy" do not blend into one another after a few listens, instead each operates individually as a solid pop-punk gem.

Opener "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now" and "What The Hell Is A Gigawatt?" are perfect for the fit, full of breakdowns and aggressiveness. Meanwhile, "On A Saturday" is powered by the synthesizer and "Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)" features infectious hooks and solid gang vocals.

The closing title track throws all those different elements together to create one hell of a finish, capping off what will probably be the best pop-punk effort of 2010.